Fragile Innocence
by watchingthewatchmen
Summary: Basically, "Rorschach makes friends with a stupid girl". I don't own anything in here 'cept Abby. CHAPTER TWO IS UP! Please read and critique!
1. Playin' the Hero

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A/N: Yes, this is a Rorschach/OC fanfiction. No, it's NOT a RorschachxOC fanfiction. My personal belief is that it's not possible. XD Anyways, I'm not a very good writer at all so suggestions are welcome, and tell me if i veer into the dark waters of Mary Sue-dom. I just like writing OC characters, it's a fun thing to put your brain into a character you've made, and try to survive in the world of Watchmen. And also, this takes place in the span of time before the Keene Act and the actual Watchmen plot. This fanfiction is a result of boredom at school as well. Anyways, here we go!

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Abby Haven reached up, tugging a black, handmade mask over her eyes. Wriggling her toes inside well-worn, dirty combat boots, she grinned, adrenaline coursing through her veins, a result of the crisp night air on her face. She checked her watch.

"Oh, time to start." she said softly.

Still grinning faintly, Abby shimmied down the side of the fire escape, dropping clumsily to the ground. Landing in an awkward crouch, she slowly stood up, stretching.

Walking quickly, she began her nightly "patrol", along what she called Route Seven. She soon stumbled across a group of men, who had managed to corner a boy down an alleyway, and were closing in.

_Must've looked at them the wrong way..._ Abby thought grimly.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared to yell in the loudest voice she could muster.

"OI, DICKS".

The group turned slowly, confused, leaving the whimpering boy huddled up against a wall. Their eyes soon fell upon a colorfully dressed female figure at the alley's opening. Abby's eyes fell on the crying boy, and she winked, mouthing the word "run".

"Catch me, if you can!" she taunted, throwing rocks in their direction.

Abby smiled as she felt the first tingle of exhilaration, the thrill of a chase about to begin. The men started lumbering towards her, and the boy slipped past them quickly, disappearing into the shadows. Abby shot them a fleeting grin, then raced into the maze of alleyways, a flash of flourescent colors.

In a futile attempt to shake them off, Abby took as many confusing twists and turns as possible, winding her way deep into the mess of streets and sidewalks.

"Oh shit..." she cursed, feeling her lungs beginning to give in, asthma slowing her down. Abby could still hear her pursuers about a half a block behind, catcalling and whistling.

_Shit, shit, SHIT! _her brain cried frantically, cursing in time with her faltering footsteps. Wheezing loudly, Abby turned another corner, then yelped as she collided bodily with a tall man in a trenchcoat.

"Well damn," she muttered, voice shaking, "they had backup." She tried to push past them, panic showing on her face as a hand gripped her shoulder, spinning her back to face the two men. Abby flinched and raised her arms, waiting for a punch to the face.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, we're not going to hurt you." a soft male voice said calmly. Lowering her hands warily, she blinked. Her eyes widened as she stammered haltingly.

"S-s-sorry." The man smiled, shaking his head.

"It's fine, no need to apologize." he said, still smiling. Abby blinked as the men's appearances finally clicked. She'd just collided with Rorschach and Nite Owl II, her idols, and main inspiration for sneaking out every night to patrol the city.

_Smooth one, dumbass _her brain snarled. Abby just stood there, mouth agape, while her brain continued to yammer, trying to make her do something, do ANYTHING. Now unconcerned with the quickly approaching danger at her back, Abby smiled nervously.

"Oh, oh w-wow, you guys a-are Ror-Rorschach and N-n-nite Owl, aren't you?" she breathed, a huge grin lighting up her face.

Nite Owl smiled as well, and Rorschach ducked his head for a second, then refocused on something behind her. Abby was startled out of her gleeful haze by Rorschach, who grabbed Abby's hand, tugging her quickly behind them. Abby tripped, clumsy as ever, and managed to skin her knee.

"Ouch" she sighed, rubbing the injured knee. Nite Owl and Rorschach stood in front of her, protecting her from the approaching gang. Abby stumbled back to her feet, pain forgotten.

"Run, now" Rorschach growled, and Abby just blinked, then smirked, shaking her head.

_Ha ha, fat FUCKING chance._

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A/N: Okay so there we go! Chapter 1 down. Please leave comments giving me tips and explaining to me how to not suck so much at this stuff. Sorry if this made you want to kill me. xD


	2. Feel for the Light

A/NWell, hello, guys! Thanks for the good reviews, and the suggestions. I'll stop calling Rorscach tall now, I guess since I come in at just about 5'2" I considered him tall. Oh well xD

So I know you just want to read the fanfiction but I have to explain something first. This story will go in a pattern, alternating subjects each chapter. Last chapter was Abbycentric, now this one will be Rorschachcentric, next will the Abbycentric again, so on and so forth. When I write I try to put myself into the character's body and mindset, so bear with me as I get accustomed to Rorschach's mindset. It's harder for me to adapt with characters that are not my own xD. Sorry once again if it's terrible. I'm trying. And a note to Maery and EOShipper2010: this chapter is almost completely different from the one I showed you. Ehehe.

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Rorschach frowned faintly behind his mask, examining the stuttering, flustered girl who had just so kindly run into him. He began to catalogue her physical attributes, memorizing the parts of her face he could see. Shoulder length brown hair, messy sideswept bangs brushing a clumsily made black mask. Grey eyes sparkled through the eyeholes, filled with wonder and girlish awe. She was definitely not gorgeous, but still pretty enough to be raped and murdered down some dark side street. Looking more closely, Rorschach realized the girl actually looked extremely pale and sickly, and was panting, having trouble breathing.

_Asthma, maybe? _he mused. A small spot of concern flared in the back of his mind, immediately surpressed. Rorschach had to admit, he'd always had a soft spot for kids, and this girl could barely be 15, at the most. Slight and weak, she was built like a sickly 12 year old boy, very unsuited to fighting. All in all, Rorschach was extremely irritated.

_She shouldn't be out here, running around this late at night, _he thought angrily, _definitely going to get herself killed._

Rorschach's eyes drifted down to her clothes, and he winced, slightly blinded. Sky blue tank top, lime green shirt underneath. Vibrant orange skirt, hot pink tights. A flash of ignorance and youth in the darkness of New York. Rorschach was starting to get a headache just looking at her.

_Hasn't she ever heard of blending in? _Rorschach wondered sourly.

Daniel nudged him, pulling him abruptly out of his musings. Rorschach's eyes instantly refocused, looking past the girl, fixating on a small group of men about 20 feet back. The scum were jeering and catcalling, sleazy grins pasted across their faces, simple minds automatically assuming they had captured their prey. Rorschach's fists tightened.

"Vermin." he spat. The girl was still standing in between him and his targets, mouth slightly open. A sheen of sweat gleamed against her pale skin, her breath still coming in short, shallow gasps.

_Definitely asthma, _Rorschach thought, reaching forward, carelessly pulling the girl behind him. He was completely focused, shifting into full-on battle mode. Rorschach cracked his knuckles, fully prepared for a quick skirmish. Cocking his head towards the girl, he growled a short phrase.

"Go home, run".

She just stared at him in shock, then grinned, shaking her head. Rorschach started to turn, intending to scare her into going home, into being safe. This quick lapse in Rorschach's concentration almost cost him. A fist whistled past his face as he turned, just barely brushing the latex of his mask. Reacting instantly, Rorschach grabbed the offending arm, and, tugging sharply, tossed the man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Rorschach grinned softly as the stupid girl yelped, jumping out of the way. Maybe now she'd go home, realize she was out of her element in a real fistfight. Rorschach realized Daniel was already wading into the group of men, his fists flying left and right in a blur of grey and brown and tan.

Eager to get in and deal some damage of his own, Rorschach didn't hesistate for a second. Flitting from vermin to vermin, Rorschach fought, tossing bodies and kicking left and right. He caught a blurred glimpse of the underfed girl, and realized her fists were up, in a terrible imitation of a fighting stance. Rorschach snorted as she tried to fend off the man he had thrown earlier, who was back on his feet, drunkenly trying to grab at the girl.

_Not my issue, _Rorschach scowled, turning back to his current assailant, _Dreiburg will take care of it._

It took all of five minutes for Rorschach to incapacitate the men, with Daniel's help. They now lay scattered, moaning and retching, throughout the dim alleyway. Dusting off his trenchcoat, Rorschach found his eyes drawn to the scrawny, undersized runt of a girl. She was sitting against a dumpster, wheezing noisily and sporting a newly formed bruise on her jawbone.

_Seems as if her fighting skills are about as good as her ability to blend in, _Rorshach thought, somehow slightly amused. Rorschach still felt irritated, but this time it was coupled with an unfamiliar feeling of warmth towards the stupid, naïve girl. Somehow, she reminded Rorschach of himself. Both of them shared a certain amount of determination.

"Go home now. Be more safe." Rorschach said, his voice as rough as ever. Daniel looked at him for a second, surprised he had acknowledged the girl, then nodded, crouching down in front of the girl.

"Hey there, you okay?" he asked quietly. She nodded, then grimaced as a cut in her lip reopened.

"Ow, hehe." she laughed. Dan helped the girl to her feet, and she thanked him again. Rorschach watched warily as she limped stiffly over to him.

"And you too, thanks. My name is Abby," she smiled, lip still bleeding, then added jokingly " but you can call me the Asthma Flash." Daniel laughed softly, and Rorschach finally met the girl's eyes. He was taken aback by her clear grey gaze, filled with innocence. He'd been immersed in the macabre horrors of the whores and the slums of New York for so long, he'd almost completely forgotten what innocence looked like.

How long had it been since Rorschach had seen innocence?

_Rorschach's Journal, April 23, 1974_

_Met girl last night during patrol with Daniel. Strange girl, seemed to be a fan. Not sure. Odd. Fought off men chasing her, girl seemed to have lured them after her. Still not sure why she'd do that. Don't like not knowing, must remember to investigate girl's intentions later. Shouldn't dress so flashy, stupid idea. Should tell her so if she runs into me again. Brave girl, but very very stupid. Still naïve and very innocent, a rarity in this city. Has courage, which I respect, but she should stay inside at night. Not sure why, but feel somewhat protective of her. Not sure I like the feeling. Not sure at all._

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A/N: So what'd you think? Too OOC? If you have any suggestions for me about how to get Rorschach a little more into character, I would REALLY appreciate it. I have alot of trouble with him, I guess I'm not vigilante enough. Also, I'm going to try to do a really bad MS Paint doodle of Abby today, and I'll put it on my profile, so keep checking back if you'd like a full image of her appearance, since I don't like describing my characters in too much detail, since it sort of detracts from the real object of the story: Abby's fangirlish following of Rorschach, and his sort of big brotherish irritation with her.

Also, even though only I'll find this funny, my friend Rachel and I were talking about how Nite Owl was probably thinking along the lines of "D'awwwwwwwwwww a cute little superhero that's so adorable I wanna pinch her cheeks!" when he first met Abby. I think he totally was xD

Constructive criticisms and encouragement is greatly appreciated! Next Chapter: You Can Call Me Stalker


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